


A question

by S_Horne



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-18 17:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14857322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Horne/pseuds/S_Horne
Summary: “Will you marry me?”Tony let out a silent sigh of relief when those words left his mouth. He'd thought about it for months, but now he was 99% confident that Steve was going to say ‘yes’. Okay, so 95%.Maybe 80%... at least 50%.Definitely 35%.





	1. Chapter 1

“Will you marry me?”

Tony let out a silent sigh of relief when those words left his mouth. He was so happy, so  _relieved_ , that he had finally asked the question. It had been something that Tony had been thinking about for a long time. He’d been working up the courage for the last couple of months, constantly talking himself out of talking himself out of proposing; it had been a confusing time and he was glad it was over now.

But now he’d done it; Tony was actually proposing to Steve. Tony was finally convinced that Steve would say yes, for the most part, anyway. Both of them had been dropping hints that were very well received recently, little comments here and there and Steve had had a sudden obsession with placing kisses on Tony’s ring fingers.

Tony was 99% confident that Steve was going to say ‘yes’. 

Okay, so 95%.

Maybe 80%... at least 50%.

Definitely 35%.

_The point was_  that Tony was perfectly content for the first time in a long time. He was being brave. He was happy. He was–

“No.”

He was confused. What? Had someone switched the scripts? Steve wasn’t meant to say  _no;_ he was meant to say  _yes._ It’s not like Tony could blame Steve for saying no, but it wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping for.

Tony couldn’t breathe. He felt as though the weight of the world was crushing him, straight on his chest. Steve was Tony’s  _everything_  and Tony wasn’t sure what he was going to do now. Of course, he could stay with Steve, rejection and all, but would Steve want that? Surely if he didn’t want to marry Tony then he didn’t want to be with him anymore. Or maybe he just didn’t think that Tony was marriage material, just good for a causal relationship with an end date.

Tony’s eyes began to burn with treacherous tears and he swallowed around a large lump in his throat, closing his eyes for a quick moment. He opened them again and forced himself to look up at Steve, hands clenching into fists as he dropped the ring box as though it was on fire. At least he wasn’t on one knee and had chosen to pop the question over a romantic meal at their dining room table in their own apartment instead of in a crowded restaurant so that hundreds of people could see him being rejected.

God, this hurt. Tony had known heartbreak before, but this was worse. It was a  _lot_ worse and Tony really wasn’t sure how he was going to come back from it. Could he come back from it?

Did he  _want_ to come back from it?


	2. Chapter 2

Tony had been engaged before.

It had been a long time ago; nearly 8 years ago, actually. It didn’t always feel like it had been that long as the scars were still there. Tony had loved her, loved her fiercely and deeply. They had met in the office; a cliché meeting where Tony had been running late and had crashed into a gorgeous woman with legs for days. He’d been even later for his meeting after he’d stopped to talk to the distraction and had nearly lost an important client, but it had been worth it. He had fallen fast and hard almost as soon as they had met and they hadn’t been together all that long before Tony had bought a ring. It had been an expensive one; not something that had broken Tony’s bank completely, but something that had definitely made a dent. A custom made ring – a silver band with a princess-cut ruby - that Tony had almost lost a couple of times and caused him more than a few worries.

He’d done it though. He had thought it through and made the decision to commit to the woman who had stolen his heart completely and wholly. Tony had booked a fancy restaurant two months in advance of the night; he’d even ordered champagne and strawberries, the whole works.

Much to Tony’s delight (and relief) she had said yes and Tony had walked on air for months. He’d had the best time planning the wedding, loving the way that her ring sparkled every time she moved and the way it felt against his chest when she rested her hand there every night. It was  _perfect,_ everything he had wanted and more.

And then one day he had come home to an empty house and a half-formed note signed with a single kiss. Most of his things were still there – he’d basically furnished the whole house and she’d spent most of her time elsewhere before she had finally moved in with him – but she’d taken the custom-made ring with her.

Tony never heard from her again.

It had taken a long time for Tony to open up to anyone else, determined to never have his heart broken again. He hadn’t planned on ever opening up, actually, but then Steve had come along.

The man that had sworn off love had been melted by Steve’s  _everything_ and Tony had gotten rid of just about every hang up he’d ever had to finally ask that question for a second time. He’d put all his trust into five syllables once more.

And now his heart was shattering all over again.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Tony jolted violently when Steve reached out and cupped his cheek gently. The movement was so sweet that Tony felt his heart break all over again, eyes dropping closed in a weak attempt to prevent his tears from falling. How could Steve be so gentle when he was breaking Tony’s heart? He wasn’t meant to be such an angel, not now. Steve was always going to be one though; a kind, beautiful, selfless angel of a manthat Tony would never get to have again. He was going.

“Tony,” Steve said, his voice soft but warm. This was it. This was the moment that Steve was going to end it and leave. “Tony, look at me.” Tony shook his head resolutely, jaw locked tight as he swallowed thickly and Steve sighed. “Please, sweetheart.”

_Dammit_. Tony had never been able to deny Steve anything, especially not when he used  _that_  tone of voice and called him by  _that_  name. Tony kept his eyes cast downwards for a moment more before he took a deep, steeling breath and lifted his head to lock his gaze onto Steve’s.

Steve smiled at Tony, his face kind and eyes soft. “There you are. Smile, darlin’, please.” When Tony’s expression dropped into something disbelieving, Steve stroked his thumb over Tony’s cheekbone.

“Don’t look at me like that, just listen.” Steve kept moving his fingers lightly and little by little, Tony relaxed into the touch. “I’m not saying ‘no’, Tony. Well, I mean, I  _am,_ obviously, but I’m not saying it because I don’t want to marry you or because I don’t love you. I’m saying ‘no ‘because I know that if I say ‘yes’ and take this ring,” Steve nodded his head to the box and Tony dropped his eyes to stare at it intently, “you’ll spend weeks worrying yourself about when I’m going to leave.”

Tony wanted to protest, he really, really did, but he knew that Steve was right. Steve was always right when it came to Tony, freakishly so. Tony had been worrying since that first date with Steve that he was going to leave. He had spent nights even years into their relationship watching over his partner as he slept, committing every feature to memory for when Steve left and Tony was inevitably alone again.

Surprisingly for Tony, it hadn’t taken long for him to tell Steve about  _her_. He had never told any of his dates about what had happened, but there had been something about Steve that had made Tony want to open up and spill everything that was on his mind. And then when he had, Steve had been the perfect listener throughout the whole story. His hand had rested on Tony’s arm and rubbed soothing circles to offer gentle reassurance as Tony spilled his darkest and most shameful secret, holding back tears even after all the years that had passed. There had been no judgment or pity, no sarcastic quips or awkward jokes to lighten the mood. God, Steve was too good for Tony and he’d apparently finally realised it.

“You’ll convince yourself that I’m about to bail and that I’ll take everything you own with me when I go, not matter how much you know that that isn’t true. So that’s why,” Steve continued, making Tony’s eyes shoot back up to his face where Steve’s smile was still firmly in place, “I’m going to be the one to ask  _you._ ” Tony’s mouth dropped open slightly and his hand shot out to clutch at Steve’s forearm tightly, squeezing as though he needed a lifeline. “And I will ask you to marry me, sweetheart, because I love you and I can’t wait to be your husband. But it will be me who asks you, Tony. That way you will know that I don’t plan on going anywhere.  _Ever_ , okay?”

Tony couldn’t do much more than nod, emotions flooding him and Steve’s words throwing him into something of a daze. As soon as Steve saw Tony’s agreement, he leant across the table slowly, eyes remaining locked onto Tony’s until the last second when their lips connected in a sweet kiss. It was nothing more than a press of their lips, but it was enough to convey everything they felt.

Steve wasn’t going anywhere, Tony thought to himself, repeating the phrase like a mantra as a smile slowly began to spread across his face. Maybe, for the first time, someone was going to stay with Tony until the end. Tony got to have this; got to have the warmth and the smiles and the cuddles. He got it all.

Steve wasn’t going anywhere, and Tony’s heart had never been more full.

**Author's Note:**

> This is on [tumblr](http://s-horne.tumblr.com/post/174606989874/a-question-part-1-stevetony) too


End file.
